Sequential Art

The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Sequential Art develops knowledge and skills in the area of sequential art, including but not limited to comics, graphic novels, anime, children's books, self-publishing, digital illustration, and storyboarding for digital media. Students will develop diverse narratives that reflect cultural, historical, and social diversity. The program provides the student with an understanding of writing for sequential art, illustration techniques, and digital media tools for illustration, layout and publication. This certificate prepares students for employment and upgrades the skills of persons employed in occupations such as illustrator, comic book artist, storyboarder, cartoonist, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, production artist, game designer, and comic book writer. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Illustration and Sequential Art is also available.

Details

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
Degree Type
Certificate of Completion (CCL)
Academic Plan
Sequential Art (CER)
Academic Plan Code
5177
Total credits required
40
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Create sequential art to project specifications, demonstrating professionalism in research, planning, production, and presentation.
  2. Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and historical and visual literacy to solve visual, technical, and conceptual problems.
  3. Analyze sequential art to evaluate its effectiveness.
  4. Apply industry standard tools and research to develop effective narratives, images and workflows.
  5. Demonstrate collaborative practices.
  6. Communicate sequential art that recognizes cultural and individual differences.
  7. Create a collection of works (e.g. capstone, internships, and/or portfolio) that reflect professional competency.

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Art Directors

$79,070

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$66,570

Commercial and Industrial Designers

$105,580

Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

$45,590

Graphic Designers

$56,090

Special Effects Artists and Animators

$56,690

There are additional career opportunities associated with this certificate that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
  • Artists and Related Workers, All Other
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
ART111 Drawing I 3
ART113 or
AVC114		 Color or Digital Color 3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART116 Life Drawing I 3
AVC289 Computer Illustration 3
CRW172 or
CRW176 or
CRW190		 Introduction to Comic Book Writing or Writing Narrative for Video Games or Introduction to Screenwriting 3
AVC178 Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC119 Penciling for Sequential Art 3
AVC120 Inking for Sequential Art 3
AVC219 Coloring, Toning and Lettering for Sequential Art 3
AVC220 Publishing for the Comic Industry 3
AVC221 Comics Creation 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC100 Introduction to Digital Arts 1
AVC177 Digital Photographic Imaging I Critical course Gateway course 3
ART111 Drawing I 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART113 or
AVC114		 Color or Digital Color 3
AVC169 2D Media Design 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART116 Life Drawing I 3
AVC178 Digital Arts Studies Critical course 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC289 Computer Illustration 3
CRW172 or
CRW176 or
CRW190		 Introduction to Comic Book Writing or Writing Narrative for Video Games or Introduction to Screenwriting 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC119 Penciling for Sequential Art 3
AVC120 Inking for Sequential Art 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC219 Coloring, Toning and Lettering for Sequential Art 3
AVC220 Publishing for the Comic Industry 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AVC221 Comics Creation 3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm11?id=184892).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.